Lee Spencer Cup winner to be honored

BY ANDRES FOCIL

FAYETTEVILLE – After totaling 5,057 points and donating 400 hours of service to the Northwest Arkansas community, Arkansas’ soccer team will be recognized at men’s basketball game against Auburn on Jan. 25 for winning the Arkansas Athletic Department’s Lee Spencer Cup for the 2010-11 year.

The Lee Spencer Cup is a competition between all Razorback teams. The winning team is the club which best displays the goals of distinction in the classroom, academic competition, personal development and community service.

For the 2010-11 year, representatives of the soccer team participated in multiple projects, including walking dogs at the Fayetteville Animal Shelter, volunteering at the Samaritan House Soup Kitchen and running with children through the Butterfield Elementary Running Club.

In addition, 17 team members traveled to Joplin to assist in the tornado relief effort and the entire team volunteered to work a Special Olympics event at Fayetteville High School.

While the team was generous and enthusiastic in its support for community service efforts, the Razorbacks also took full advantage of personal and career development opportunities offered through the Department of Student-Athlete Development. Soccer student-athletes were active in attendance at the Razorback Leadership Academy, Sophomore Success program, Big Event Career Fair and in attending a presentation by Mike Green on alcohol responsibility.

The Razorbacks also participated in the Code Red program in which the team earned points for supporting fellow Razorback teams.

The Lee Spencer Cup was established in 2009 through the gift of Greg and Hannah Lee, long-time friends of Lee Spencer and his family. The couples were very close over the years and, after losing their friend, hoped to do something with the Razorbacks in his honor.

Colby Hale, the former associate head coach at Central Florida, was hired as Razorback head coach in December. He recently announced the completion of his staff with Ben Strawbridge and Mario Rincon as assistants.